In the field of home automation, moveable elements, such as in particular doors, blinds, shutters, screens, barriers or gates, are maneuvered by virtue of electrical actuators. An actuator generally includes an electric motor, and is linked to an electronic unit for managing the power supply to the motor. The actuator is supplied by an ac voltage source (for example 230 volts) or by a dc voltage source (for example 24 volts).
An electrical actuator is usually linked or may be linked to various electrical devices making it possible to perform particular functions of control of the actuator (termed “input functions”), functions of information (for example of the user) or of security, some of which are imposed by the security standards pertaining to the field of home automation, these information or security functions being termed “output functions.” These electrical devices may in particular be photoelectric cells, sensors, receivers of RF waves, flashing lamps, emergency stop buttons and digicodes.
The electronic management unit normally includes a supply circuit, a logic control unit, supply control circuits for controlling the motor and interface circuits for connecting various electrical devices. The unit may be a physical entity separate from the actuator.
The multiplicity of these electrical devices makes the installation and the wiring of such systems relatively difficult. This gives rise to a high cost and often leads to numerous errors.
To remedy this problem, it is known to link the electronic management unit and the various necessary peripheral electrical devices by way of a transmission bus. The architecture of such a system makes it possible to ensure the same functionalities as those performed by a system in which the electronic unit centralizes the connections and the information.
Such buses are found in various patents or patent applications.